Lichfield Trent Valley ticket machine

[onlinespotting]

Lichfield Trent Valley ticket machine vandalised, a couple were wanting to collect tickets, the lady said : 'we have our proof of purchase' but the gentleman took a photo just in case, how would they stand without the photo if a guard insisted that the T&Cs of Advance fares are followed to the letter?

 

[causton]

Don't know if the brief is still in place, but I have seen them from a few TOCs saying to err on the side of caution. The other night all ToD systems went down for a few hours, and weird things do happen (such as the time the machine ran out of tickets, but decided to corrupt the ToD booking so the person could not pick them up) so if you have a booking confirmation printed out/on your phone or a convincing story, I can't see them having much problem asking you to pick it up at the first available opportunity

 

[farci]

I travelled from Manchester Airport via Preston to Glasgow Central last October on advance purchase split tickets late at night having lost my return tickets. At Manchester I explained my dilemma to the booking office clerk and was able to show the online confirmation on my PC. He attempted to retrieve the booking from his system and, unable to do so, wrote me a note to that effect. On each of the trains I explained the situation to onboard staff and was treated with courtesy meaning I did not have to buy replacements at full fare. Highly impressed

 

[bolli]

Don't know if the brief is still in place, but I have seen them from a few TOCs saying to err on the side of caution. The other night all ToD systems went down for a few hours, and weird things do happen (such as the time the machine ran out of tickets, but decided to corrupt the ToD booking so the person could not pick them up) so if you have a booking confirmation printed out/on your phone or a convincing story, I can't see them having much problem asking you to pick it up at the first available opportunity

TODs being broken by faulty TVMs isn't an uncommon occurrence, I see it about once a month. ATOS machines seem to be particulary unreliable...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Interesting question. They would have been boarding the train (presumably) without having had any possibility of obtaining a ticket before boarding, so that much is OK. But officially as guards can't issue ToD I guess strictly by the rules they might have been charged for singles to the first point they could collect.

However, I expect not.

Taking a photograph of the problem seems a very sensible idea.